Biology - HOT Science Lab

Student
The Deadly Fuchsia Disease
(Adapted from Epidemic – The Deadly Fuchsia Disease – www.vcu.edu/lifesci)
NGSSS:
SC.912.L.14.52 Explain the basic functions of the human immune system, including specific and
nonspecific immune response, vaccines, and antibiotics. (AA)
Background:
A disease can be caused by a virus, or microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
The human body becomes ‗sick‖ when it is unable to fend off a disease-causing organism or a
pathogen. A pathogen is an invader such as a virus or bacteria that resists internal defenses
and begins to grow and harms the host. Most diseases will eventually be eradicated from the
body by the body‘s immune system. Some diseases are resistant to the immune system and are
able to thrive in the body and cause harm including death to the host. Certain viruses, such as
―Colds‖, can be easily detected by symptoms such as a fever or a runny nose, but some viruses
do not cause any symptoms till a later date. An example of this is HIV which causes AIDS. An
HIV positive person can walk around for years transmitting it to others without knowing he/she
has the virus.
In this lab, you will be given an unknown ―Simulated Bodily Fluid‖. This fluid is clear, and can
represent the aerosol droplets from a cough or sneeze, the bodily fluids exchanged in the
transmission of HIV, or in any other disease. You will simulate the exchange of bodily fluid with
three other students. After three exchanges have taken place, you will then test your sample for
the disease. Once the testing is complete, you will find out which student‘s samples, in your
entire class, turn out to be positive. Using this information you will then trace the route of
transmission by using a flow chart to find the original carrier.
Purpose or Problem Statement:
To demonstrate that one infected person in a population can, over a period of time, infect a
large number of individuals
Safety:
Wear safety goggles
NaOH is a skin irritant. In case of skin contact flush with large amounts of water. In case
of ingestion do not induce vomiting and give large amounts of water followed by fruit
juice.
Vocabulary:
Disease, endemic, epidemic, immunization, infection, quarantine, vaccine
Materials:
test tube racks
test tube
distilled water
NaOH (0.1 M)
phenolphthalein
Biology HSL Page 148
Curriculum and Instruction